Popular chef reflects on his successful career and future plans
CAIRO: Chef Osama is a name many Arab housewives recognize instantly. His live daily shows Ma Osama Atyab (It s More Delicious with Osama) and Bilhanna wa Shiffa (With Joy and Good Health) and the five versions of his cookbook of the same name have become essentials in many houses around the Arab world.
He describes his cooking style as nouvelle Mediterranean cuisine, saying he would like to achieve mastery over numerous other cuisines besides my skills and understanding of continental cuisines such as French, Russian, and Serbian.
Osama El-Sayed, or Chef Osama, has prepared banquets for some of the world s dignitaries and throughout 20 years in the business has seen many of them thank him in person.
After graduation from the Hotel Technical Institute in Cairo and his training at the Nile Hilton, he moved abroad. He worked with the Serbian Crown restaurant in Washington, D.C., and then with Braun s Fine Caterers in Maryland, where he served numerous political and diplomatic figures.
His recent contributions in the United States include creating and developing an innovative hazard analysis critical control points recipe guide and implementing technical specifications, nutritional labeling, and standard sanitation operating procedures. This serves the operation of a federally inspected meat and poultry processing facility, which produces home meal replacement gourmet menu items prepared and shipped for retail distribution, a commercial line for gourmet dinners.
From Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 he will be demonstrating his craft live through interactive sessions with the public at the forthcoming Dubai Ideal Home Show at the Airport Expo in Dubai as part of the Tefal Taste Temptation Theater.
Question: How do you manage to simplify complex cooking techniques?Chef Osama: Since my audience usually numbers millions of viewers across several continents, I have to learn to simplify complex cooking techniques and recipes for basic home cooks. In fact my shows Ma Osama Atyab, live daily on Dubai TV, and Bilhanna Wa Shiffa are features for those who want to understand and enjoy glorious food without too much fuss. I am the happiest behind the stove with my apron on.
Besides, in the sometimes-frantic pace of today’s lifestyle, everyone is looking for ways to prepare delicious and nutritious meals in a hurry. That is why I offer recipes and cooking methods for a meal that is both healthy and satisfying and on the table in less than one hour.
Q: You are working on a new series of cooking programs at present. Would you like to offer us a glimpse of what exactly you are going to telecast?CO: Recently we re-jigged a new studio kitchen for the Dubai TV program to showcase energizing features created to expand the edutainment experience for viewers. The new kitchen reflects features including a market designed at the corner of the set. One area is devoted to fruits and vegetables and another to herbs and spices. A third section changes according to the content of the show each day.
Probably the most revolutionary aspect of the new format will be the opportunity for adventure as we venture out from the studio and visit the kitchen of an area hotel restaurant. Once each week I treat viewers to a different chef who will share a recipe and cooking instructions for a main dish and dessert.
In fact, creating and outfitting a proper, workable kitchen and making decisions on what appliances are best suited to food preparation and the individual cook’s style is the special feature throughout the new series of programs.
Q: Could you tell us what we can expect at the Ideal Home Show Tefal Taste Temptation Theater this year?CO: This year I will be hosting the Tefal Taste Temptation Theater along with my esteemed colleagues Sanjeev Kapoor and Ainsley Harriott. Of course I will be interacting with visitors, offering tips about my easy cooking techniques, signing books and hosting the show in conjunction with my colleagues.
Q: Have you participated in any similar events (in any other city or exhibition)? If yes, what is so special about this event?Oh yes.
The most important thing is the new set in the famous Modhesh Fun City, certainly the hot spot of Dubai Summer Surprises. It is definitely special for me, as I love being with children. I also make it a point to allocate time to teach cookery to children, something I love to do.
“Ma Osama Atayab progressed through the various themes of this event from the inaugural flowers week through ice, heritage and colors and closing with back-to-school. We celebrated each of the 10 weeks in our own way, and satellite transmission enabled us to share these special food adventures with viewers in the UAE and around the world.
The temporary quarters at the Dubai Conference Center provided us with the opportunity to have a studio audience in addition to the daily calls from home viewers. Each Thursday we had special surprises and often included children in our activities. A live band added to the festive mood, and the changing of themes each week inspired a few unusual decorative additions to our television kitchen. We even created what nature has never produced – a pineapple-date palm tree. It was designed for Pineapple Day.
Q: Are you planning to publish a new cookery book in the near future?CO: The fifth edition of my book “Bilhanna wa Shiffa now on bookshelves in Arabic, features 18 new recipes with each recipe presented in a format that includes an appetizing, full-color photograph illustrating a serving suggestion. Meal planning and menu suggestions feature traditional dishes along with my personal recipes. Holiday favorites for Ramadan, and holy feasts including Christmas are featured as well.
The book was inspired by requests from faithful viewers of my global television and print audience and the publication celebrates the name of my popular cooking show, “Bilhanna Wa Shiffa, which enjoyed an initial run of 13 years and is still being aired in many parts of the world.
